We got our dwarf/pygmy catfish today :D

[SuomiBetta]

It's always worth double checking but that sounds about right. And the more you watch your fish the more they tell you. I keep a journal of regular water tests and how my fish look to make sure they're healthy and what they prefer. It's a great way to keep ahead of illnesses. Especially since fish have a habit of taking nose dives health wise.

Sent from my SM-T210R using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[dragon14]

I haven't written anything down yet since we finished the cycle, but I need to write down that we got the catfish today and stuff. I have a little notebook just for fish stuff. Before that I was putting it on the calendar on the wall lol.

I hope I don't deal with any more fish illness, but it could happen We are going to take very good care of both of these tanks and keep meticulous watch over the readings & water changes, so, hopefully any issues will be minimal

 

[dragon14]

We took some sand from the 10g and added to the 5g. . They're laying in it already!

It was a chore getting them out of the tank and more fun getting them out of the pitcher we used to put them in while adding sand. Yeesh. Lol. Yay happy catfishes

Gonna leave them alone for a couple days now. They've been through a lot in the last 48 hrs! They were all resting after we put them back in, but within a half hour - forty minutes, they were swimming around being adorable.

We still have just 5, may get one more tomorrow, I don't know. I Just read at least 6 they are happiest, but 5 aren't bad I guess.

 

[dragon14]

I plan to get two more in the morning! I almost want to tell the people at the pet store they are labeled wrong but not sure if I want to argue with them or not lol. If they don't believe me.

They're so cute... they like to pigpile sometimes and just lay on top of each other lol. So tiny but so active and cute.... I've had them less than 48 hours but I love them already

 

[jennandjuicetm]

Post a picture, then someone here can help you with the species. I will have 9 in my 10 gallon with a betta, a baby bn pleco, and two frogs. I think you will be okay with 7. I got 10 because I was afraid some wouldn't make it and I wasn't sure how sensitive they were. The fish specialist at the store said they are only available to order about once every 6-9 months so I didn't want to take the chance and have some not make it and have less than a school of 6. I'm adding my 9 separately, I did 5 last Saturday and this Saturday I'll do the last 4. These are mine, i think they are habrosus.

 

[dragon14]

That makes sense, what you did . Just keep up with water changes and you should be fine. I hope they still have some tomorrow, I'll call first.

Those definitely look like c. habrosus to me!!

I don't have a good picture. I took a few but they're super fuzzy. They're fast little buggars. They look like this though:

 

[SuomiBetta]

They're adorable! They look much more comfy with the sand

Sent from my SM-T210R using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[dragon14]

Those aren't my fish but that's the kind I have. I don't have a good picture yet. Not sure if I'll get one lol.

They love the sand they have now though.

 

[PerfectDepth]

So you're moving these fish into a 10 gallon with a betta already in it, right?

My advice: Rearrange the decor when adding them with the betta. If your betta thinks he's in a different tank, there's less chance he'll be territorial toward the cories.

 

[dragon14]

Yes . As soon as possible but it seems the consensus is a minimum of two weeks. I heard four is best but we finished cycling on the 20th of this month and don't want the bacteria to die off too much. Our betta likes to poop though lol. Or whatever else makes him make ammonia lol. His ammonia got too high twice .25 then .5, and we treated him with salt both times since his fins were shredding and falling off it seems due to fin rot. I never want ammonia issues again! Live and learn. He seems okay though . I love my little guy.

We are planning about a 50% water change, maybe a bit more, every 3 days on the 5g. I'll test for ammonia of course. I don't want our tiny new friends to get sick!!

We were planning to take out the betta for 30-60 mins, rearrange the tank a bit, add the catfish, and then let them roam a bit before putting him back. Does that sound good?

Thank you

 

[PerfectDepth]

Sounds good.

Also, if they have a thin black line down the side, they are indeed pygmaeus. If they have a thicker black line, and other black spots, they are habrosus. Corydoras pygmaeus have the thin horizontal stripe, corydoras habrosus have black patches on their bodies, and corydoras hastatus have a single black spot at the base of the tail.

habrosus:

pygmaeus:

hastatus:

 

[SuomiBetta]

Yes . As soon as possible but it seems the consensus is a minimum of two weeks. I heard four is best but we finished cycling on the 20th of this month and don't want the bacteria to die off too much. Our betta likes to poop though lol. Or whatever else makes him make ammonia lol. His ammonia got too high twice .25 then .5, and we treated him with salt both times since his fins were shredding and falling off it seems due to fin rot. I never want ammonia issues again! Live and learn. He seems okay though . I love my little guy.

We are planning about a 50% water change, maybe a bit more, every 3 days on the 5g. I'll test for ammonia of course. I don't want our tiny new friends to get sick!!

We were planning to take out the betta for 30-60 mins, rearrange the tank a bit, add the catfish, and then let them roam a bit before putting him back. Does that sound good?

Thank you

That's what I would do. I'd also move your handsome fella a little away from his ten gallon to really make him think it's a new tank. (Bettas are nearsighted so it doesn't have to be very far)

Sent from my SM-T210R using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[dragon14]

@PerfectDepth


The pygmaeus picture didn't show up lol. I am 99.9999% that is what we have though. They look exactly like the little picture I posted. I think I managed to get a decent picture this morning so I'll try to post it soon.

 

[dragon14]

That's what I would do. I'd also move your handsome fella a little away from his ten gallon to really make him think it's a new tank. (Bettas are nearsighted so it doesn't have to be very far)

Sent from my SM-T210R using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Yep, that's what I was thinking too He'll probably be a pitcher-fish until we put him back in. He's been a pitcher-fish before and didn't really like it, but it works for a very temporary place to put him We use two one-gallon pitchers for water with our tanks. I don't know another way lol and that is what works for us. If it was any bigger than a 10g we had that might not be so good, but, eh, works for us Bought them brand new at WalMart and rinsed thoroughly. Bought a 5g bucket for waterchanges too brand new at WalMart. And we have two siphons lol. We have bought sooo much stuff for these fish! Returned quite a bit of things too. We are done for now except getting two more pygmy catfishes tomorrow if they still have some.

Gosh, we could have gotten the hamster we were originally gonna get for a lot cheaper than we've spent on these fish but that's okay. I love my little fishies

 

[SuomiBetta]

Yep, that's what I was thinking too He'll probably be a pitcher-fish until we put him back in. He's been a pitcher-fish before and didn't really like it, but it works for a very temporary place to put him We use two one-gallon pitchers for water with our tanks. I don't know another way lol and that is what works for us. If it was any bigger than a 10g we had that might not be so good, but, eh, works for us Bought them brand new at WalMart and rinsed thoroughly. Bought a 5g bucket for waterchanges too brand new at WalMart. And we have two siphons lol. We have bought sooo much stuff for these fish! Returned quite a bit of things too. We are done for now except getting two more pygmy catfishes tomorrow if they still have some.

Gosh, we could have gotten the hamster we were originally gonna get for a lot cheaper than we've spent on these fish but that's okay. I love my little fishies

He'll live spoiled little buggar lol. Hey I use an old 3 gallon tank as my water change bucket and an old 1 gallon jug for new water. Whatever works lol. Ohh I hope they have more. I love Cory cats...so cute. Otocinclus are adorable little algae vacuums lol and they get so fat so easily hehe.

Sent from my SM-T210R using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[PerfectDepth]

@PerfectDepth


The pygmaeus picture didn't show up lol. I am 99.9999% that is what we have though. They look exactly like the little picture I posted. I think I managed to get a decent picture this morning so I'll try to post it soon.

pygmaeus:

If you have the pygmaeus species, you might notice that they're a bit shy, also they're not exactly bottom-dwellers. They'll rest on the bottom and root around in the substrate, but they tend to be mid-level swimmers rather than scooting around on the bottom like most other cories.

 

[dragon14]

Right now they're being lazy little buggars laying around lol.

I definitely have pygmaeus. They aren't habrosus and they're not hastasus.

 

[dragon14]

Just came home with two more . They're floating in the tank now.


We also got a piece of Malaysian wood. He said wood only lowers ph a little and that lessens over time.

The 5 we have are still being lazy on the bottom lol.

 

[dragon14]

SuomiBetta

Yep! Whatever works is right
Yes they'll be spoiled . They had them still! Got 2 more. Was a dead fish in the tank with them. Again. Looks like it got caught up in some grassy stuff . First time a different dead fish was kinda floating there. :/. He had said it was probably from stress of moving around.

I think I researched those little guys. I think they'd work in a 10g. I read though they're usually wild caught and hard to breed. And unfortunately commonly die within a few weeks of getting them due to stress. . Not sure if that's all true, but,
We want an algae eater too. But only one that is appropriate in a 10g.

 

[SuomiBetta]

SuomiBetta

Yep! Whatever works is right
Yes they'll be spoiled . They had them still! Got 2 more. Was a dead fish in the tank with them. Again. Looks like it got caught up in some grassy stuff . First time a different dead fish was kinda floating there. :/. He had said it was probably from stress of moving around.

I think I researched those little guys. I think they'd work in a 10g. I read though they're usually wild caught and hard to breed. And unfortunately commonly die within a few weeks of getting them due to stress. . Not sure if that's all true, but,
We want an algae eater too. But only one that is appropriate in a 10g.

I absolutely HATE that. Ick. I'd add some Melafix to make sure no one gets sick from the dead fish bacteria! Otocinclus (in a group of 6) are great little cleaners! They're also only 2'' so they're nice and tiny.